The field of the invention relates generally to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of regional myocardial function, and more specifically, to a meshfree numerical analysis technique for rapid computation of strain from MRI images acquired with a DENSE sequence.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is considered a viable noninvasive technology for visualizing regional myocardial function. MRI is characterized by higher spatial and temporal resolution than echocardiography. The higher resolution facilitates detailed quantitative assessment of cardiac wall motion and computation of transmural strains. Myocardial contractility (i.e., strain) is an important metric for quantifying myocardial dysfunction in patients.
Imaging techniques such as tagged MRI (TMRI) including post-processing algorithms are commonly used to visualize regional myocardial function. TMRI uses pulse sequences to create temporary features, or ‘tags’, that follow the motion of the myocardium. By tracking the motion of the tags through the various stages of the cardiac cycle, displacement information is obtained and processed through techniques to provide additional information regarding the myocardium, such as strain.
However, TMRI has a relatively low spatiotemporal resolution in comparison to other MRI techniques. A low spatiotemporal resolution can result in imprecise data used in the post-processing algorithms for strain analysis. In addition, the post-processing methods used in TMRI have long processing times, creating a potential inconvenience to the operator and the subject that can increase the duration of the MRI operation.